It didn't take long for top-seeded St. Paul's to make a statement in their 3-1 Division I quarterfinals victory over eighth-seeded Baton Rouge-Catholic.

James Bradford's goal in the fourth minute signaled the Wolves were more than ready, willing and able to take control in their quest to regain the state championship.

"We knew that they were going to be a very physical team and that early goal really helped us set the tone for the rest of the match," Bradford said. "There was no doubt in our minds."

It was the third meeting of the season between the Wolves and Catholic, but the first time the Bears had managed to score a goal.

"It's hard to beat a team three times," said St. Paul's senior Conner Walmsley. "Once we got that first goal, we shut them down."

St. Paul's (23-1-4) will host fourth-seeded St. Amant in the semifinals this weekend. It will be the only meeting of the season between the Wolves and Gators.

Catholic (13-5-3) was hoping for a fresh start, despite the two regular season losses, but it wasn't going to be that way.

"Their back all the way to the final third is hard to keep up with," said Catholic coach Matheus Costa. "We tried to stay low and take our chances. Congratulations to St. Paul's, they did a great job."

After Bradford's early goal, St. Paul's tightened its grip on the Bears and controlled possession, forcing a foul and then setting up Walmsley for a corner kick. The well-placed set piece resulted in an assist on a goal by Lucas Isolani in the 11th minute, building a 2-0 lead.

"That was their strength, and I think we defended it well," said St. Paul's coach Sean Moser. "We were able to make their strength one of ours and beat them with it."

That element was part of a goal in the 40th minute on a direct kick by Walmsley, giving St. Paul's a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 halftime advantage.

The lone bright spot for Catholic was Ben Hupperich's goal in the 48th minute, helping the team avoid getting shutout by the Wolves for the third time this season.